Meteorites originating from a significant fireball event witnessed across the skies of northern Ontario last month have been found on Cockburn Island in Lake Huron. Dave Kenny, a Vancouver Island resident, and his colleague Anton Clemens, who belong to the volunteer group Meteorite Recovery Specialists, made the discovery on July 11. Cockburn Island, situated near Manitoulin Island in Lake Huron, is sparsely populated.
The recovered meteorite fragments were analyzed by the Meteor Physics Group at Western University in London, Ontario, confirming their connection to the meteor that disintegrated in the atmosphere on June 19. Dave Kenny, an experienced meteorite hunter, expressed his excitement at finding these meteorites on Canadian soil for the first time.
Accessing the island was challenging due to its private and protected status, requiring coordination with local authorities. The duo spent two and a half days searching the island, covering nearly 50 kilometers on foot. Despite the obstacles, they quickly found significant fragments, including a 57.6-gram intact stone by the roadside and other pieces near Tolsmaville.
The recovered stones, suspected to be chondrites from the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter, will undergo further study at Western University. Dave Kenny mentioned that numerous stones were found close to ATV tracks, emphasizing the timely recovery to prevent damage.
